1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical swab mainly for use in medical treatments of ear, nose and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
In medical treatments of ear, an absorbent cotton is wound around the end of a thin stainless steel stick having a diameter of about 1-1.5 mm, and the cotton is then inserted in an acoustic meatus to remove a liquid matter accumulated there, e.g., pus. Alternatively, cotton is impregnated with a medical fluid which is applied to a diseased part of the acoustic meatus. A doctor or a nurse winds cotton around the end of a stick by hand whenever it is used. The spent cotton is removed and the shaft is disinfected for reuse.
Winding cotton around the end of the stick is, however, time-consuming and not hygienic. If wound cotton is left for a long time, it is readily restored to the original state to come loose. In addition, reuse of the stick may increase the danger of possible infection.
Meanwhile, ordinary commercial cotton swab, which is generally used for ear cleaning at home or the like, comprises a stick made of plastic or the like, and sphere-like cotton lump(s) formed on the end(s) of the stick by winding cotton fibers around the stick. Since such cotton are of mass produciton and throw-away product, they have little or no danger of possible infection. However, the stick of the ordinary commercial cotton swab has a diameter of not less than 3 mm, and therefore, if inserted in an acoustic meatus in medical treatment, it is difficult for a doctor to observe the acoustic meatus, thereby making it hard to apply precisely a medical fluid to a diseased part.
The above stainless thin stick for medical treatment of nose or ear can be bent as required. This facilitates the medical treatment to diseased parts for which much effort is required. On the other hand, if the plastic stick for the ordinary cotton swab is bent, it may break or restore quickly, failing to maintain a bent state.
Additionally, in a cotton lump of the ordinary cotton swab, an adhesive is contained for adhesions between cottons and between cotton and a stick. It is however unfavorable that the cotton lump contains an adhesive or the like, because the cotton lump is brought into contact with a diseased part. Furthermore, when a cotton lump is impregnated with a medical fluid, the adhesive may dissolve in the medical fluid. Thus, the ordinary cotton swab using the adhesive cannot be employed for medical use.